Leys vs Stephen Perse sixth form

[CocoaFoam]

DS is in Y11 and has received conditional offers from the Leys and Stephen Perse sixth forms. He’s planning to study Chemistry, Biology and Maths, with Physics as a possible fourth, for his A levels. He’s bright and participates well in class, his teachers (especially in the sciences) have great things to say about him, but he’s not particularly studious/academic and was recently diagnosed with ADHD.

Does anyone have experience with either school’s sixth forms, and if you had a choice which offer would you accept?

DS favours Stephen Perse over the Leys and thinks he’ll fit in better there, but based on his current predicted grades he’s more likely to meet the Leys requirements (above an average of 5.5 over 8 best GCSEs and at least a grade 5 in Maths and English Language; grade 7 or above at GCSE preferred for A level subject) over Stephen Perse (minimum 56 points for the eight best GCSEs; at least a Grade 7 at GCSE in subject for A Levels).

Stephen Perse is extremely academic.

They usually have two classes doing further maths, and many many classes doing maths.

It may well be that being with very bright people will pull him along and mean that he works more or it may mean he gets disheartened.

The leys (used to!) offer two types of places - day and day boarding where you stay until ten. Which kind of place has he been offered?

The leys is more of a "develop the whole child" type of school.

Thanks @Octavia64 . The Leys offer is for a day place, which DS strongly preferred; although we can see that day boarding would help him spend more time with other students.

At Stephen Perse they did tell us they expected students to work towards A/A* for their A levels. DS heard it but I don’t think it registered with him.

We may have shot ourselves in the foot by signaling to him that we preferred the Leys for pastoral care and a more well rounded approach; so of course he says he would like the other option. He’s also not enamoured with another two years of wearing school uniform and the Saturday classes at the Leys…

I have no recent experience of being a parent at either sixth form, but according to this article in the Cambridgeshire Live which I read today, The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2025 for secondary independent schools in East Anglia has The Leys is in third place and Stephen Perse in seventh.

As far as I know at The Leys: Home Boarders in the sixth form normally go home at 9pm (theoretically when all prep/homework is done). Day pupils can go home when lessons finish at 4:20pm.
I read recently that they also have two sets doing Further Maths, but they may have smaller numbers in those sets.

Home Boarders are based in the same house as boarders and in the L6 have a study space (desk, bookshelf etc) in a room where a boarder works/sleeps (I think). Day students are in one of the three day houses all in the same building. Students have their own locker and shared study spaces in the house.

Houses have all ages 13 - 18 in them, apart from the separate sixth form houses which are just for (most but not all) students who join in the sixth form. Students are based in houses during break, lunch when they are not eating and before and after lessons.

Day fees are £1400 less per term than home boarding fees, according to the website.

School uniform for sixth form boys = a suit, optional jumper, white shirt and tie until lessons end. Edit: except in the summer term when they can wear a school polo shirt instead of shirt and tie, and do not need to wear a jacket. Outside the working day they can change into their choice of clothes.